Flash Post 199!

Button, this bit of news in the TOI stunned me.

What bit of news and why did it stun you?

The bit of news which reported that flowers are losing their scent because of changing weather patterns. In other words, because of global warming. The diverse and delicious scent in flowers attract insects to their reproductive organs for the purpose of pollination that ensures the continued existence of plant species.

And why did this bit of news stun you?

Because, just a couple of days back, when didi and I went out to feed our pariah children, we bought some stalks of tuberoses aka rajanighanda from the trio flower vendor sisters and realised the next morning that the flowers had no fragrance!

Are tuberoses meant to be fragrant?

Extremely and that’s the way I remember them. Till about a year back, when I used to place these beautiful white flowers in vases of water, the entire room would smell of their scent. This time round, after having repeated the same exercise, I did not get even the slightest scent so I went close to the stalks and smelt them and still there was no fragrance. I even mentioned this to didi. The flowers are still standing in their vase filled with water and looking pretty but there is just no fragrance.

That’s strange.

By the way, why do you think they are called tuberoses?

Tell me.

Because they are tall and slender and look like tubes.

Sure?

I think.